The petitive stage. It was a dazzling arena in which warriors had the opportunity to show off the results of all the blood, sweat, and tears they shed to get this far.

  And once more, Stratus set foot on this holy nd. This time, they came to challehe Leopards, the regional champions.

  The entire eeam was already anized oage, waiting for Stratus’ arrival. It arent that their coach, Ruez, was very strict about appearances. He stood at the bad watched over all his soldiers like a ander.

  But, that’s not the entire squad. Yuel reminded himself. There should be another pyer out there, someone who has no iion of showing his fatil it’s absolutely necessary.

  Yuel sed the stage. Unfortunately, there was no special sixth pyer on the front line, but that was a given. If Apprentece was anywhere in this stadium at the moment, then it’d be either in the audience or at the back of the stage.

  The audience… I wouldn’t find him there even if I tried.

  The front rows were filled with the Leopards’ supporters. They were probably younger members of the club, potential oppos for the future.

  There were a couple of kids there who looked somewhat Asian, so searg for Apprehere would be pointless. As such, Yuel directed his gaze to the back of the stage, to the area around Ruez. There, he saw yet another kid and he looked Asian to boot.

  Maybe that’s him? Yuel wondered. He does look rather unpleased with the euation.

  The Asian boy was standing far behind the Leopards’ first-string, as if trying to stay out of view. From the side, it looked as if he didn’t appreciate being involved in any of this.

  Oh? Yuel blinked. For a moment, his eyes locked with those of the Asian boy. It’s as if the guy had a sixth sense ahat Yuel was watg him.

  Or, maybe it was just a ce? Regardless, the Asian boy scoffed and turned away from Yuel. He had no iion of giving them the time of day. They were all insignifit as far as he was ed, that’s what his body nguage veyed.

  I’ll definitely drag you to the stage today, mark my words. Yuel asserted. But first, I have to make sure we defeat the Leopards we know.

  It was time for the official greetings. As the captain, Kai stepped forth to greet Rook, the enemy captain.

  As the vice-captain, Yuel followed a few steps behind Kai. Likewise, a female pyer did the same for Rook. She was TheTheorist, the only female pyer on the Leopards.

  But, why did the two of them even step forward along with their captains? Unfortunately, nobody could quite ahat question….

  I hate how undefihe vice-captain’s role is. Yuel made a face. Some referees tell us to participate in the greetings, while ive us weird looks as if asking why we even stepped forward.

  heless, to be on the safe side, Yuel followed behind Kai. And, Theorist did the same, probably due to the same siderations. Better safe than sorry.

  Uhe time with Taurus, the greetings went by smoothly this time. Nobody from the Leopards disrespected Kai for her gender here, which was only natural for a team that received professional coag.

  Not to mention, Theorist was their vice-captain, so they definitely didn’t discriminate against female pyers. And in general, it felt like they respected the petitive stage and their oppos.

  Actually, I’m not 100% sure about that. Yuel corrected himself. They're not showing it, but they’re probably looking down on all of us as a team. Their fidence is practically oozing out.

  Especially Rook, the enemy captain, wore an ever-present smile on his face. He was smiling nearly the eime, but it wasn’t a smile that invoked a sense of friendliness. No, it was a smile of fidehe smile of somebody who believed they were above others.

  They probably think of us as a warm-up practiothing more. Yuel thought. I’m sure they expect to beat us 3 times in a row, then switch over to their sed-string just like in previous scrims.

  But, that won’t happen today. The Stratus of this year was unlike ever before. They were no lohe dark horse of the region, and they’ll prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt today by defeating the powerhouse in front of them.

  The greetings cluded briefly after the referee said a few words to both sides, all acc to protocol. That’s where the formalities should have ended, but instead of returning to his team, Rook stepped toward Yuel.

  “Fancy meeting you again on this stage.”

  “Catht?” Yuel verified.

  “My, you even remember my name? I’m honored. Looks like our match left a long-sting impression on you.”

  “I suppose it did...” Actually, I deleted it from my memory five seds after it ended.

  “As we’re both shot-callers here today,” Cato tinued. “It looks like we’ll have another ce to py ‘chess’ against each other.” He stretched his hand. “Who knows, maybe this time you’ll fare better~”

  “I definitely will.” Yuel accepted the handshake. “In fact, I could’ve easily beaten you that day as well if we had a rerun.”

  “Oh? Is that how you remember it?” Cato titled his head. “Because, if my memory serves, I stomped you pretty hard that game~”

  “You took me by surprise, that’s all. I wasn’t prepared for that pawn barricade you created.”

  “My, you remember that match down to the st detail?” iled impishly. “I ’t imagine how salty it must’ve made you to lose to su unorthodox strategy.”

  “Salty? Not at all,” Yuel said. “I was just caught off guard by a strategy that had a very poor affinity with my own, that’s all. It was a bination of my inability to adapt fast enough and my ck of research regarding your pystyle, that’s about it.”

  “At least you’re ho about your shortings, I respect that. But, you still seem to be implying that my pystyle didn’t impress you much, even though I destroyed you so thhly~”

  “As I said, it was just a case of bad affinity and me being unprepared, that’s all,” Yuel repeated. “At the time, I already started getting into Mancers, so I had to divide my free time between researg the two games. I ended up fog more on Mancers, which is why my chess performance suffered.”

  “Sounds like excuses if you ask me.”

  “Then, I’ll let today’s scrimmage vince you.”

  “Oh?”

  “As you said, we’re both shot-callers, so this scrim will be simir to a rerun of our chess match, right? Let’s see whose shot-calling es on top today.”

  “I like that.” Cato nodded, with a fident smile not leaving his face for a single millised. “Holy, I’m a bit skeptical about the specs of your army, But, if you’re so fident, then I won’t say anything.”

  “Our specs are just fihank you for your .”

  “Haha, alrighty then. The’s enjoy this rerun. I’ll make sure to stomp you five games in a row, so you’ll stop spouting nonsense about how you could ‘easily’ beat me if you were prepared.”

  “We’ll see about that.”

  The two of them turheir backs to each other auro their respective teams.

  “You know that dude?” Lars asked.

  “Yeah, it turns out I do,” Yuel firmed. “I pyed chess against him once before.”

  “Oh!” Vi made noise. “Such a fateful ce! Former chess rivals reunite on the petitive stage of Cssmancers!

  “So, what’s the story?” Lars asked. “Dude is seeking revenge on you because you beat him hard or something?”

  “... something like that.” Yuel felt it was unnecessary to go into specifics. Telling them that I lost might harm their morale. There’s no good reason to share that info with them.

  "Sick, yo!" Lars pumped a fist. "So, it's like we’ve already won! Yuel gonna use that strategy thingy of his to mop dat Rook dude, right? He did it once, so he do it again no problem!"

  "Indeed, indeed!" Vi hyped it up as well. "It appears we already possess a definitive advantage irategy department.”

  "Right…" Yuel felt like the hype was getting a little out of hand but it was too te to stop it. Well, I’ll just have to deliver the results they're expeg, then it won't be a lie. I'm sure I crush Cato's defensive game pn in chess, so I'll just have to do the same in Cssmancers.

  The other team showed some i in Yuel and Cato’s exge as well.

  "You never mentioned you kheir Support," Sonya said.

  "It's a trivial detail, not even worth mentioning." Cated. "We pyed each other in a chess tourwo years ago, that’s all. Nothing too special."

  "Is that really all? You wouldn't remember a random oppo you faced two years ago uhey left an impression."

  "My, as perspective as ever. As expected from my secretary."

  "Who's your 'secretary'?" Sonya gave him a look. "Anyway, how e you remember a random oppo from two years ago? Don't you try switg topie."

  "My, always blunt and to the point, aren't you? That's why boys are afraid to approach you~"

  "As if I care."

  "ht, you don’t, do you? After all, Jennifer is the only one for you~"

  "What are you even..." Sonya sighed. "Well? Did you hit your joke quota yet? I'd appreciate an ao my previous question. How e you remember a random chess oppo from two years ago?"

  "It's cute how serious you get about every little thing~"

  " you bme me? You just casually revealed important data I wasn’t aware of. Depending on how the two of you are reted, it might have a big impa the match."

  "Alright, alright, I get it. Rex." iled wryly. "But really, as I said, it's nothing important. We just pyed each other two years ago at the chess regionals. The reason I remember him? It's because he won the regionals a year before that."

  "So, he has a record like that." Sonya made mental note. "Did you only reize him now on stage? Or, did you know he was Chessmaster all along?"

  "Who knows~"

  "It's not funny. If I knew he's a chess pyer of that level, I would've looked into his match records. It could’ve helped me profile him better as a shot-caller."

  "Is that really necessary?" Cato asked. "Chess is chess, Mancers is Mancers. We got plenty of data about him already, from footage that’s a lot more ret than some oldie from two years ago."

  "I rather leave no stourned. We have limited information about our oppos as it is, so every little bit helps. I thought you uood that much."

  "Oh yes, of course I do. But as I said, you're taking it way too seriously. It's just one chess matothing more."

  "Oh, I think I figured why you kept quiet about it. You lost that match, didn’t you?"

  "Not at all. I crushed him thhly." iled fidently. "He stood no ce against my unbreakable Pawn Wall."

  "Pawn Wall? Really? Do you py like that even in tours?" Sonya made face.

  She had the honor of pying chess against Cato a couple of times before. These bitter experiences made her develop flicted feelings toward his pystyle.

  It was a defeyle that definitely worked, but it went against so many chess ventions. As somebody who improved in chess by studying theory, Sonya had a hard time stomag Cato’s “Pawn Wall” nonsense.

  "Anyway,” Sonya said. “I'd like to review that match you had with Chessmaster, if you don't mind."

  "My secretary is ever busy, isn’t she?" iled impishly. "No problem, I'll send you the records during the break."

  "Thanks. And, ime, I'd appreciate it if you informed me ahead of time. You never know where we might find crucial data."

  "Duly noted." Cato saluted with a smile.

  Of course, there was a very good reason why he didn't share this piece of information until now. And no, it wasn't just to tease Sonya, even though that was definitely part of the fun.

  The real reason was a little too awkward to share. Basically, Cato wasn’t sure whether Yuel even remembered their match.

  If I bragged about how I “crushed him at a chess tour", but then turns out he doesn’t even remember the match, it’ll be a little embarrassing, wouldn’t it? Would make it sound like I’m obsessed with that one “random match” or something. Awkward.

  It athetic reason, Cato erfectly aware of that. But, in the first pce, he didn’t sider any “data” from that chess match to be too relevant for today, so it really wasn’t worth losing aatio.

  But, I'm gd he remembered~ iled impishly. Now, I publicly announce how I crushed him at that chess tour and traumatized him so much he still remembers the match~ And, he was a fional champion to boot, which says a lot about my own level, hehe~

  With these funny thoughts swirling in his mind, Cato returo the team along with Sonya. And so, the formalities betweewo teams were over. Now, it was time to do battle!

  DarkestCymore